Between Dimensions
by imaginefish
Summary: In an attempt to save Arendelle from going under, Jack is sent back in time to make Elsa a Guardian that can forever rule as Queen. But what happens when he falls in love with her, knowing that they must part again when his job is done?
1. Chapter 1: Stepping Up

"Did you not hear the Moon?"

Jack let himself be carried by the storm. It rushed through the streets and played catch-up with him as he jumped across parked cars, swung around corners by the help of lampposts, and slipped on the iced asphalt. It had been chasing him from the beachside where waves frozen to walls still kept the worst at bay. Now, he was in the midst of the city. Unlike in the suburbs, the cars here were still being driven past midnight, and people flocked the bars and restaurants. It made it harder for him to keep up to speed. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to try.

He slid between the legs of a group of people, then jumped over the railing of a set of stairs leading down to the train station, and he spent the fall waiving to Toothiana.

She fluttered above him, but she did not wave back. "Did you not hear the Moon?" she called again.

Jack grimaced and, just before he hit the ground, bounced off his staff and spiralled through the air up to eye-level with her. "To be frank, he never once spoke to me," he shrugged.

"You know what I mean."

"Did I _see_ him call? Yes! - but I'm a bit busy right now." Jack gestured behind him and they both turned to watch as the wind blew through the group of guys Jack had just slipped under and left them dripping wet.

Toothiana raised her brows. "You're busy with wind?"

"I'm busy with rain," Jack corrected her. He swung his staff and the drops just about to hit them turned to snowflakes. For a moment, they glittered, then fell like drops of rain. Jack rolled his eyes, grabbed Toothiana's arm, and pulled her along as he flew across the city high above the wets of the wind.

"My snow is disappearing," he explained as they were out of reach. He let go of her arm with an apologetic smile. "It's all turning to... _mush_."

"It's the change of seasons," she sighed, "it's no different from what North and Bunnymund go through. Their time comes and goes."

"Winter shouldn't be over yet. The fun has only just begun!"

"Travel, Jack," she smiled. "It's always winter somewhere else."

"But somewhere else isn't where I grew up," he mumbled.

The place had changed. As years passed, the buildings grew taller, the reach of the city spread, and soon the quiet nights were filled with music, honking cars, flashing lights, and chatting people. But to Jack, this was still home. This was where his old life ended and a new one began. This was where he first met the Moon.

Jack looked up. It shone above them, and its light pulsated as it urged him to react. It had been calling for days. Jack had ignored it. The Man in the Moon never changed - whenever he called, it was for favours.

"Where have you been?" Toothiana asked. They floated through the air, side by side, and she watched him patiently.

Jack avoided eye-contact. Instead, he kept his gaze fixated on the Moon. "Hiding," he replied.

"Why?" she asked, but as he didn't speak, she sighed, "You're a Guardian. You have responsibilities. You can't just _hide_."

"I'm a Guardian of fun," Jack protested. "What's fun about responsibilities?" He stretched his hands toward the Moon and shaped his fingers until they encircled it. He closed one eye and concentrated on the light. "What's he saying, anyway? It's like he's speaking in morse code."

Toothiana flew in front of Jack's hands and blocked his view with her smile. "So you _are_ curious why he's calling?"

"Unless it's got to do with snow, count me out," Jack laughed and shook his head at her. He lowered his hands, and Toothiana grabbed them.

"Seems like you're in luck," she said and placed a piece of paper in the palm of his hands.

Jack raised his brows, then looked down at the paper. It was a picture of a girl he'd never seen before. Her hair was pale, and her eyes sharp blue. She was looking away from the camera toward someone next to her, but they had been cut out. In the background, snow was falling.

Jack narrowed his eyes as he tried to place her, but nothing came to mind. "Who is she?" he asked and glanced at Toothiana.

"She's the Queen of Arendelle," she replied.

"Arendelle?" he said, "Never heard of it."

"I'm not surprised. It's in a different dimension."

Jack laughed, "Since when have different dimensions been our concern?" He held up the picture and let the light of the Moon shine through it. For a moment, he paused. Although he knew it was a still photo, the girl looked almost alive with the light making her blue eyes shine. '_She looks young to be a Queen_,' he pondered.

Toothiana placed her hand on his shoulder and peeked at the picture. "Pretty, isn't she?"

Jack promptly handed the paper back to her. "I thought we were Guardians in this world only," he said, speaking a bit too quickly. "What's this all about?"

"North thought so too," Toothiana said and lowered her voice, "until Pitch Black showed up in Arendelle."

Jack stared at her. "Pitch is back?"

"As strong as ever, I'm afraid."

Jack eyed Toothiana's face as she looked away. Although she tried to remain calm, he could read the panic in her eyes - she remembered well how Pitch snatched up each and every one of her fairies. He knew what she must be feeling.

He glanced up at the Moon. Again, its light pulsated, and this time he replied, "Alright, old man, I'm all ears."

* * *

Jack barely managed to step inside the Workshop before North snatched him off the floor and shook him, "Where have you been, boy!" His shout echoed through the room and quieted even the elves.

Jack pinched himself free with his staff and jumped to the floor. "Here, there, and everywhere."

"I found him in the city," Toothiana said as she flew through the doors.

"We looked in the city. We looked in the woods. We looked across the night sky!" North proclaimed. "No Jack!"

"Well, here I am," Jack said and leaned against his staff as he looked around.

North's home was busy as always. The Yetis were scrambling to prepare all the toys as the elves fooled around with balls and biscuits. Jack snatched a cookie from a passing by elf and took a bite. He wasn't about to let North's anger face him, not even as the man hovered above him and his large shadow blocked the light. After all, this was North, a Guardian of Wonder, not of _threat_ or _annoyance_.

Jack looked up at him and chewed, "Care to tell me why I'm here?"

North took in a deep breath, but Toothiana interrupted before he could speak.

"Show him the Globe," she said.

Jack grimaced. "I know the Globe," he said. "If this is about the lights flickering out, why don't we go out and reinforce the children's beliefs? Even if Pitch is going to other dimensions, he surely can't be unstoppable already."

North narrowed his eyes. "Who told you about other dimensions?"

"He needed some convincing to come," Toothiana said and handed North the picture. "I showed him this."

North laughed, "You show the guy a woman, and - oops - out of hiding?"

Jack's grimace deepened and he bit his tongue not to shout. "This isn't about her," he said, his cheeks getting red, "I'm here because of Pitch. Tooth said he's spreading fear. Anyone care to stop fooling around and let me know a bit more?"

"I'll show you the Globe," North said and waved for Jack to follow.

Jack picked up his staff and followed with a head shake. "I told you already, I know the Globe and I know how it works. This isn't... five years ago."

"You're right, it isn't," North said and glanced back over his shoulder. "Which is why I'm showing you the _other_ Globe."

"The other Globe?" Jack said, puzzled.

They walked through a green door and then started heading downstairs. The wooden staircase seemed to go in an endless spiral, and the deeper into the ground they went, the darker it got around them. As Jack looked around, he noticed there were no elves and yetis. It was just North, Toothiana and himself. It was getting colder. The air hugged him tight and left his skin clammy.

Jack grabbed at the bannister as he started to stumble in the dark. "What is this place?" he mumbled.

"An entrance to dimensions," North replied somewhere ahead. Jack couldn't even see him anymore. The darkness had closed around them completely.

Toothiana's fingertips touched his arm. "Are you okay, Jack?"

"Dark doesn't scare me," Jack said. He wasn't sure if he was speaking the truth. It normally didn't bother him - he was born out of the cold water, with nothing but darkness surrounding him before the Moon opened his eyes. But this darkness was different. It seemed to cover secrets.

"You've seen other dimensions before," North spoke. "You've seen Tooth's home. You've seen where Bunnymund works. These are all parts of Earth's other dimensions. Even my Workshop can be mistaken for what you call home! - but it's different. It's got its own place in this universe. The Queen you've seen comes from such a place."

"Arendelle," Jack whispered.

He could hear North hesitate. "Yes," the man then spoke, "Arendelle is such a dimension."

Jack saw the light before he heard the door being opened. Suddenly, the stairway was lit up and he yelped in surprise as he was blinded. For a moment, everything around him disappeared, and when he could finally see again, a room revealed itself to him.

They had reached the end; here, behind a hidden door in the wall, was a grand wooden hall. Beams painted in dark green and clear red stretched across the ceiling, and from them globes hung. Jack looked at them with astonishment as he crossed the doorway and entered the hall.

Some globes were large. Some were small. Some were made of water, other of air, other of wood, other of gold - but they all pulsated with life.

"That's incredible," he spoke.

"That's the prettiest," said someone behind him and pointed to a globe just above his head, shaped like an egg. Jack swirled around on the spot and looked straight up at Bunnymund. He smiled at him and leaned down to be face-to-face with him, "Hey Jack, you're late."

"Bunny!" Jack laughed. He then saw the chubby man waving from behind Bunnymund. "You as well, Sandman? What is this, a ceremony to welcome a new Guardian?"

"Yes and no," Toothiana said and flew inside as North closed the door. It disappeared into the wood of the wall, and Jack realised they were left inside a room with no exits.

North turned toward them and gestured around the room with his arms. "Welcome to the Globe," he said.

Jack reached up and poked the egg-shaped globe with his staff. "More like the Globes room," he said. "What are all these?"

"Careful!" Bunnymund pushed his staff away from the egg, "What do you think you're doing? That one is mine!"

"It's yours?" Jack said amused. He looked around and then pointed to one shaped like a tooth. It was shining dark green and gold. "Is that then yours, Tooth?"

"It is," she nodded. She flew up and pointed to a golden, dusty cloud. "That's Sandy's. And that over there," she said and gestured to a colourful globe which looked more like a Christmas decoration than a dimension, "is North's."

"Wow," Jack mumbled. He walked through the room as he gazed up at the globes. "And all of those are dimensions as well?"

"Each is a dimension," North said and walked with Jack. "And they're all connection to our common Globe, the Earth."

"Then which one is mine?" Jack asked. He looked around excited, hoping to spot his dimension before being told, and as his gaze fell on a shimmery white one, he took off from the ground and floated next to it. Even before touching it, he could feel the cold emerging from it. "Is it this one?" He leaned close to take a better look.

The globe in front of him was indeed frozen and cold, but only on one half. As he spun around to its other side, he saw heat. He noticed houses and castles, but one rose above the others - an ice castle placed on the tallest mountain of the globe.

This was his. He knew even before being told - this was his globe. He saw himself in the walls of the castle. He felt the crunchy snow under his feet. He heard the laughter from a girl. '_What girl?_' he wondered and leaned closer, but North broke his line of thought.

"That, Jack, is Arendelle."

Jack looked down at the other guardians. They had gathered below him and were looking up at him with concerned faces. As he caught them staring, they looked away, almost shyly, and it made him frown in confusion.

"What? This is where that Queen lives?"

"Her name is Elsa," North said.

Jack slowly dropped to the floor and settled in front of the group. "Elsa," he repeated. "Queen Elsa?"

"Arendelle is like any of these dimensions," North said and looked up at the globes. "It is connected to us. Pitch can travel in any of these dimensions, and he can gather his powers from whoever lives there. Up until recently, Arendelle was just like our dimensions, too strong to be persuaded by his fears, but recently, Queen Elsa has lost control of her powers. Fear is sweeping across Arendelle, and Pitch is feeding off of it."

Jack cocked his head as he listened. Sandman was using his dream-sand to recreate whatever North was telling, and the scenes played out in front of him - a once strong, beautiful queen had grown weak with age. Now, she had nothing left but fear.

North continued, "It took her years to control her powers, but when she did, she rose to be a strong and good queen. For years she has reigned, and we've thought nothing of it. But humans are not guardians, Jack, they die. But if she dies..." North paused and looked and Sandman. His golden sand shaped Arendelle as it slowly disappeared, like a sandcastle being wiped out by the waves of the ocean. "If she dies," North mumbled, "Arendelle dies with her."

Jack bit his inner cheek. He wanted to seem unaffected, but the story bothered him. As he spoke, his voice came out much quieter than he intended. "Then what will happen?" he asked.

Bunnymund groaned, "Don't you get it, Jack? It doesn't matter to Pitch where he gets his powers from. He'll start with Arendelle, and then work his way across the dimensions until he gets to ours again. And this time-"

"-he'll be too strong to stop," Jack finished his sentence and nodded. "I get it, but what can we do? We barely have the time to be guardians here. How can we even start to look after other dimensions?"

"We can't," Toothiana agreed. She placed her hand on Jack's, holding his staff, and looked him in the eyes, "But you can."

"Me?" he spluttered.

"The Moon has chosen you," North nodded.

Jack ripped his hand free of Toothiana's and stepped backwards. He clutched onto his staff as he held it in front of him, almost as a protection against the other guardians' intentions. "Hey, wait, no - I was chosen once, and that almost went wrong, remember? I can't be chosen again! That's not fair."

"No one controls the Man in the Moon," North shrugged.

"Well, this guardian-thing is something we do together, right? It was me last time. Now one of you must step in!"

"It doesn't work like that, mate," Bunnymund said and crossed his arms.

Jack copied him, crossing his arms. "Well, I'm not doing it. I can't save a whole dimension from Pitch. I can't fight him alone!"

"You won't be," North said.

Jack was about to say something, but he paused. "...I won't?" he repeated North's words. Confusion was clear on his face.

"Of course not," Toothiana said. She was holding her hand, the one Jack ripped free off, and it was with care that she grabbed his hand again. This time, he didn't pull away, and she smiled, "You won't be facing Elsa as she is today, old and frightened. We don't want her to reach that state at all. That's why you must travel back in time, to before she aged, to before her powers got out of control, and make her strong enough to be a guardian of Arendelle."

Jack stared into Toothiana's eyes. "I must make her a guardian?"

"It's not easily done," North said. He walked up on Jack's other side and grabbed at his shoulder, leaned down and looked at him. "But you have the ability to do it."

"Why me?" Jack asked. He felt helpless, surrounded by his friends who all seemed to think he could do more than he knew himself capable of. "Why not one of you guys?"

"Because you have similar powers," Bunnymund interjected.

"She controls ice and snow, she has powers over the cold," North explained. "And you, Jack, you're in control of winter."

"I know that," he mumbled, unable to come up with something more intelligent to say. He felt lightheaded. This wasn't the kind of day he expected it to be. He wanted to make snow and see his home city covered in frost. Not to be shipped off to some strange dimension to meet with a queen.

As if on cue, North handed him back the picture of Elsa. "You'll understand each other," he said, "you'll see."

Jack looked at Elsa - he studied her kind smile, her shiny eyes, her blushing cheeks. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.

Jack didn't feel strong. He was a guardian of fun because that was all he knew - how to have fun, laugh, enjoy himself. He had fought, but he was no fighter. He had supported others, but he wasn't good at coming up with kind words. At times, he didn't feel like he had lived for hundred of years. He felt sixteen. He felt like a confused teenager. But now, he didn't have time to allow those feelings to take over. He had to be strong.

As he opened his eyes again, they were full of determination. "Okay," he said and clenched the picture to his chest, "I'll do it."

* * *

**A/N: **I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! Please let me know your thoughts, and hopefully I'll see you around for chapter two.

Disclaimer: All characters and their worlds are created and owned by Disney and DreamWorks. The story is for entertainment purposes only and I have no financial gain from it.


	2. Chapter 2: A new world

"You will need a cover. No cover, no good!"

Jack almost buckled over as North threw him a bunch of papers. There were hundreds, and all wrapped up with a robe around them, like a little book. He lifted the bundle up into the air and grimaced, "What's this?"

"Our file on Elsa."

"_All _this is about _her_?" Jack asked. He flickered through them by the corner. There were pictures, and anecdotes from her childhood, and in-depth stories about her coming of age. "And you want me to read it _all_? I didn't become a guardian to do homework."

"I didn't become a guardian to listen to complaints," North replied and pointed to his Naughty-tattoo, "Do you want to end up here?"

Jack just rolled his eyes and sat down by the table.

The preparations had begun immediately. He'd barely agreed to the quest before North hushed everyone back upstairs. Each guardian was sent in a different direction to gather necessities, and North brought Jack into a quiet room in the back where he could sit and read. Or _study_, as Jack felt it was - if he was meant to be travelling to Arendelle as soon as possible, this kind of preparation felt silly.

"Who even made this?" Jack asked no one in particular as he started looking through the pages.

North leaned against the table and watched as he read. He paused at the question, then solemnly said, "Someone who knew her very well."

"Like a family member? Or a lover?" Jack guessed and pointed to a name on a page, "_Hans_?"

North laughed. "No! Hans betrayed Elsa. He wanted her killed!"

"Oh. Well, never mind then." Jack balanced the book against the windowsill and stared at the picture of Elsa at her coronation. She looked scared and fragile, like she wanted to flee the place. A few pages later, another picture of her as Queen of Arendelle showed her standing tall and proud among her people. '_I guess knowing yourself does that to you_,' Jack pondered. His fingertips traced the line of Elsa's face, '_It gives you the strength to go on._'

To Jack, the first hundred years were the worst. He was worried he was never going to find out who he was and what he was meant to do on Earth when alive yet dead to those around him. It took him another hundred years not to care. And then one hundred more to forget the pain. But as he saw the picture of Elsa, he remembered it again - feeling scared and alone, and knowing that no one could help you but yourself.

"What's most important now is knowing Arendelle," North said and placed his hand over the picture.

Jack shook free of his thoughts and blinked, "A cover story, you said?"

"You can't just waltz into her kingdom and expect people to accept you. You look different, and you sound different. You'll cause suspicion!"

"What's wrong with that, really? Aren't I to make her a guardian? The sooner she knows, the better," Jack said and leaned back in his chair.

North shook his head with a wry smile. "Oh, young boys," he sighed.

"Oh, old men," Jack mocked him with a grin.

North gestured out the window toward the moon. It shun brightly back at him, as if the Man in the Moon acknowledged they were there, looking at him. "The moon chose you. He chose you back then, and he chose you now. He does not speak to you. He waits until you're ready, then he tells you what you must do. You have to be Elsa's moon." He looked at Jack, then closed his hand in a fist and pushed it to his chest. "Let your heart shine. When she's ready, you'll know, and you'll tell her. Before then, you must hide your intentions. You must learn her and her powers."

Jack looked down at North's hand. He smiled, but a short, sad one. "That's all well," he said, "but what if I don't know when she's ready?"

"You will," North said and patted Jack's shoulder, "You'll see."

The door opened, and Toothiana and Sandman entered. North straightened up and held out his hand expectingly, and Jack watched in confusion as Toothiana handed over a Tooth Box, and Sandman delivered a small bag of Dream-sand.

"What's this for?" Jack asked and stretched his neck to get a better view.

North smiled and turned back to face him. "These you must bring. They'll be of good use," he said and placed them on the table.

Jack picked up the Tooth Box and turned it around in his hands. "This is mine," he said and shot Toothiana a confused look. "Tooth?"

"Memories are important," she said and closed Jack's hands around the box. "Please, keep it safe for me."

"Dream-sand," North said and shook the bag. Golden dust flew everywhere in the shape of small snowflakes, "is for the nightmares that you must turn to dreams."

"Another case of 'you'll know when to use it in time'?" Jack asked with a raised brow. He accepted the bag as well, although with hesitation. Just like the file, it seemed like useless remedies to be bringing on a trip to another dimension.

North just smiled, "Exactly."

"Where's Bunny?" Toothiana asked and swirled around in the air. "Isn't he supposed to be back by now?"

As if on cue, the door opened. But it wasn't Bunnymund that stepped in. All the guardians rose to their feet as they saw the Yeti.

North's face was one of worry. "What's wrong?" he asked.

The Yeti grumbled, and Jack looked at North for answers. "Well?"

North's hands fisted by his sides, and he took in a deep breath. He looked between Toothiana and Sandman before taking a few, big steps toward the door. "No time for Bunny," he said, "we must leave at once."

"We?" Jack questioned. He looked at all his things - the file on Elsa, the Tooth Box, and the bag of sand - and then back at North. He held out his hands in desperation, "How am I even going to travel with all this?"

Toothiana and Sandman, who were both following North, turned to look at Jack. Sandman was the first to walk back to him, offering him one of his bags from his belt. He silently handed it over with a smile, and Jack accepted it.

"Thanks."

"Now, hurry, hurry," North instructed. "Pitch Black is on the move."

"I thought we already knew that," Jack said. He was running after the rest as they crossed the hallway and squeezed together in the lift.

"It's worse," North said and nodded at the Yeti as they reached the right floor. They stumbled out, and Jack gawked as he reached the control board of the Globe room and stared at Earth. This was the Globe he knew, and he'd seen it enough times to know something was wrong.

It wasn't a matter of lights - the children still believed, and all over the world, small lights blinked and turned back on as children became adults, and new babies were born. But surrounding the Globe was a thin shell of black. Slowly, but surely, it seemed to be moving closer.

"What is that?" Toothiana asked and flickered around North. She grabbed at her cheeks and hid her face behind her hands, only leaving just enough space for her to gaze out between her fingers. "Is that Pitch?"

"It is Pitch," North nodded, darkly.

Jack felt his heart race as he gazed across the dark shadow. "Does that mean it's already too late?" he asked and swallowed.

North shook his head. "No, but it means we don't have time to prepare. You must travel immediately, Jack."

Jack swung the bag of things over his shoulder and straightened up. He pushed himself off the floor with his staff and levitated to be at eye-level with North. "What about my cover? What about _studying_?"

For the first time since arriving at the Workshop, Jack felt true panic. Sure, he didn't want to take on the duty of saving Arendelle to begin with, and he wasn't feeling good about crossing dimensions. But all of that seemed far away when they were discussing it in the basement. It was like listening to a ghost story at daylight - thrilling, but nothing less. But now it had gotten night, and the story seemed much more real.

Jack ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head, "What about-"

"All that could have happened," North interrupted, "if you'd been found earlier."

Jack's lips shut tight, and he looked away with a sting of guilt.

Toothiana pushed between them. "There's no need for that, North," she said. She looked between him and Jack. "What matters is getting Jack going."

Sandman nodded, and above his head a Snow Globe was shaped from his sand.

Jack pushed at it with his finger. "We use the Snow Globes?"

North lifted his coat and withdrew one from his belt. "You will use one to go," he said and handed Jack a globe. It felt heavy in his hand, like real glass. "One to come home," North said and handed him a second. Jack fumbled to keep a hold of both. "And one," he said, opening Jack's bag for him as he dropped a third one in there, "just in case."

"You mean, and one for 'when you know you need it'," Jack corrected and smiled.

North's lips pulled up at that. "Yes. For when you know."

Jack reached behind and put another Snow Globe into his bag, leaving him with just the one to go. He held it up and watched it shine in the light. The Yeti by the lift stepped away. Jack grinned at him, "Don't worry, I'm not gonna bring you with me," but when he looked back, he realised Toothiana, Sandman, and North stepped backwards as well. "Guys?"

"We can't risk going," Toothiana said. "All our powers will be needed here to fight off Pitch Black."

"Until you change the past of Arendelle," North said, "no one will be safe. Not even you."

'_Not even me,_' Jack thought to himself. '_Not me, not you, not Arendelle, not anyone. Especially not the children._' He took in a deep breath as he stared at the Globe. "What must I do?"

"Imagine Arendelle," North said.

"I've never been!"

"Remember the Globe from downstairs," Toothiana advised. "Think of what you saw. Concentrate on that."

Jack nodded at her, and he stared into the Globe. He tried to recall the Globe - its white surface, the cold that it emitted, the ice castle on the largest mountain. As he thought about it, pictures started to play around inside the Globe. Soon, he could see the castle as was it right in front of him.

"There it is!" Toothiana whispered.

"Now... throw it!" North cried.

Jack smashed the Globe to the floor, and it shattered. The Yetis by the dashboard stepped away too, seeking cover behind the guardians. The glass from the ball rose from the floor into an opening that shone bright, and Jack had to cover his eyes not to be blinded. As he was able to look again, he saw an opening in the air right into Arendelle.

Jack looked at his friends. "So... that's it," he said.

"Make us proud," Toothiana smiled.

Sandman waved, and North looked on with a concerned face as Jack took in a deep breath - and then stepped right through the tunnel.

* * *

It was all dark, and then bright, like when he rose from the water hundreds of years ago. The wind bashed against his skin and, as he opened his eyes, he looked right at the moon. But it was different from the one he knew from home.

Jack blinked and then gasped as all air was sucked out of him. He turned just in time to see the opening to North's Workshop disappear. With it went the heat, and the comfort of friends. He was alone in the dark, and he didn't know where he was. All he knew was the cold.

"Okay, let's not panic," Jack whispered as he looked around. His grip around his staff tightened, "It could be worse." Behind him rose tall walls of ice. To his left was an entrance, to his right the bannister of a balcony. He traced it with his fingers. The cold rushed through him. Like everything else, it was made of ice, and as Jack tip-toed to take a look down across the mountainside, he realised he was far away from Arendelle's heat.

He could see the town in the horizon. The last beams from the sun shimmered in the ships by the harbour, and their flicker casted shadows across the houses surrounding the green area leading up to the mountains. But where he was at, there was nothing but snow. It started beneath the castle, where a set of stairs ended, and it seemed to carry on far into the woods separating him from civilisation.

Jack slowly backed away from the bannister. He walked through the doors into the castle and found himself in an ice hall. Even the decorations were shaped like snowflakes. "What a strange place," he mumbled as he started walking.

'_This has to be the ice castle I saw on the globe,_' he pondered. He gazed upon the ceiling, complete with shining crystals, and sighed, "And I was dumb enough to believe it could be Arendelle's centre. I should've imagined ships instead!"

"Why are you looking for Arendelle?"

Jack jumped at the sound of someone else's voice. He swirled around, his staff held up in defence, and stared at the girl who'd emerged on the other side of the hall. He blinked and gawked in surprise - as she stepped forward, he recognised her as the girl from the picture.

Elsa walked with brisk steps toward Jack, but stopped just out of his reach. Her gaze flickered between him and the staff, and her eyes narrowed. "What is that for, fighting?"

"More like protection," Jack said and swirled it around before dropping it by his side. He saw no reason to defend himself against her. Elsa seemed calm, but curious. "I thought I was alone in here," he said.

"So did I," Elsa replied and looked him up and down. "Why are you in my castle?"

"It's still in use?" Jack looked around with a wry smile. "It's not exactly cosy."

"It doesn't have to be. I come here to be alone, not entertained. I ask you again - why are you in my castle?"

Jack grimaced. Her voice was heavy with a no-nonsense tone, and he realised he had to think fast to satisfy her. He stumbled for an explanation, "I... got lost on my way?"

Elsa crossed her arms and raised a brow. "Are you asking a question, or answering mine?" she said.

"Both?" Jack guessed.

"You're not from around here. Your clothes are different." She eyed his feet. "And you have no shoes? Aren't you cold?

Jack looked down at his hoodie and trousers. He realised he should've changed before coming, but North had been in such a rush that all logic failed him. He should've changed, he should've thought up a cover - and he should've gotten himself to Arendelle in the first try. '_All in all, a pretty bad start to a quest._'

He looked back at Elsa. Her pale dress looked thin, and her feet were barely covered by the glass shoes. He cocked his head, "Me? You look just as cold."

"Cold never bothered me," Elsa said.

"I'm the same," Jack said, and he rolled on his feet from heel to toe on the floor as if to prove it.

She bit her inner cheek and eyed him with caution. "You mentioned Arendelle," she said. "Is that where you were heading?"

Jack nodded, "Yes. I got caught up, I- uh... lost track. Of my way. I don't have a map. Somehow, I found this place."

"That sounds _very_ convincing."

"I hope so, 'cause it's all I've got," Jack smiled, and he thought he saw Elsa's lips crack upwards for a moment. He stepped toward her, but she slipped backwards, so he stood still as he spoke. "I mean no disrespect. I must be confused. I've been walking for days, and you're the first I've come across." He leaned against his staff with a sigh. He wasn't sure if he was getting anywhere with her, but he thought he might as well play it straight. "I want to get to Arendelle," he spoke. "Could you help me?"

Elsa watched Jack for what seemed like the longest seconds of his life. Her gaze flickered between him, his staff, and his bag of goods. "Do you know who I am?" she asked, her voice calm.

Jack hesitated, then said, "Doesn't everyone know the Queen of Arendelle?"

She smiled, "You can call me Elsa."

"I'm Jack," he replied and held out his hand, then fumbled getting it back to bow, unsure of what would be the best kind of manner, "eh, my Queen," he added, and it made her break out in a laugh.

"I came here to be alone, to forget of my powers," she spoke. "There's no need for you to be formal. Save that for the capital." She reached out and took his hand, giving it a light squeeze. "Good to meet you, Jack."

Her hand in his was warm, her fingers slim. Jack held them for a second longer than necessary. "You too, Elsa," he smiled.

As they parted, she pointed to his bag. "What is in there?"

Jack placed his hand over the sack. He'd attached it to his staff to make it easier to carry, but dangling back and forth, it caught attention. He bit his lower lip for an explanation. "My stuff," he then shrugged.

"What's your stuff?"

"Why do you want to be alone?" Jack shot back at her.

Elsa's lips shut closed. She narrowed her eyes and looked away. "That's personal."

"So is my stuff," Jack said, and, as he felt it sounded harsh, added a, "Sorry."

Elsa didn't comment. She waved for him to follow as she walked toward the door. "It's a long walk to Arendelle," she said and looked over her shoulder back at Jack. She eyed his feet once more. "Are you sure you enjoy the cold?"

Jack watched the frost slipping off of Elsa's cape, the snowflakes in her hair, and thought, '_I think I'll just manage,_' and he grinned, "I'm up for the challenge."

"Very well, _Jack_," she said and walked down the stairs, "you may spend the time telling me a bit about yourself."

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks for reading! It feels good to finally reach the part with Elsa. Any thoughts and comments? - please let me know!


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